TTV Dinakaran steps down, AIADMK merger now on the fast track

Chennai, April 20 -- The rebirth pangs of Tamil Nadu's ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party looked set to end after its deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dinakaran stepped down on Wednesday, putting the party's two warring factions on a merger course.
In a day of flip flops, after senior ministers on Tuesday night decided to expel party general secretary V.K. Sasikala and her nephew Dinakaran, the latter held out for a while before declaring he has stepped aside.
"They (ministers) have sidelined me and I have kept myself away from the party affairs. If they would have informed me about the decision, I would have announced my decision earlier," said Dinakaran, who has been booked by Delhi Police for allegedly seeking to bribe election officials.
Alleging ministers took the decision out of "some fear", he said: "I appeal to them never malign the party and will never be an obstacle for the welfare for the party and the government."
After Dinakaran's announcement, ousted chief minister O. Panneerselvam, leader of the rival faction, said that keeping away the Sasikala family from the AIADMK is the first victory. "Both the factions will now discuss and decide as per the wishes of the cadres and the people."
Their ouster, he said, was the "first victory in the dharma yudh (holy war)."
On Tuesday night, following discussions with chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, minister for finance and fisheries D. Jayakumar said, "V.K. Sasikala, her nephew T.T.V. Dinakaran and her family would be sidelined from the party affairs, as this is the wish of the 1.5 crore cadres of AIADMK and the people of Tamil Nadu."
"We will stand united to safeguard the party and the 'two leaves' symbol of the party," he added. Delhi Police allege Dinakaran tried to bribe Election Commission officials with Rs 50 crore in order to get the symbol for the Sasikala faction.
The ouster move did not go down well with some of the legislators in the Sasikala camp. "Dinakaran is an undisputed leader and he is the one who can decide on the direction of AIADMK," said senior leader Nanjil Sampath.
"The decisions taken by ministers and others is due to the pressure from the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). They fear income tax raids," he added.
When the two factions formally launch their merger talks the key question will be the sharing of portfolios, including the chief minister's post, according to some of the leaders in the Panneerselvam camp. But the important first step was Panneerselvam's demand for the expulsion of Sasikala's family members.
Jayakumar said that a committee would be formed to discuss the merger plans with the Panneerselvam camp. Once the formal discussions begin, the key questions would be whether Palaniswami, who was installed by Sasikala, would give up the chief minister's post; who would be allotted the key portfolios; and who would be the general secretary of the AIADMK, a position that rivals that of the CM in influence.
"People of Tamil Nadu and the cadres would want Panneerselvam as the chief minister," said a senior member from the Panneerselvam camp.
Meanwhile, working president of the opposition Dravida munnetra Kazhagam M.K. Stalin urged speaker P Dhanapal to immediately convene the assembly to discuss issues such as farm distress. "The government has been pushed to a comatose stage due to the faction fights," said Stalin.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from MINT.